The Most Beautiful Woman on Earth
by Fantastical Queen Ebony Black
Summary: I long to reach out and hold her. Sometimes I do reach out... ... Only to find myself grasping empty air as I open my eyes. [SM]


_**The Most Beautiful Woman On Earth**_

Something I wrote a while ago. More than a month anyways. My friend read it, liked it, and then I re-edited the sentence structure. I luv sentence structure. I'm a dork...

Disclaimer: I own a spoon, but I don't the moon, I don't own Inuyasha, and I do not like baboons ('cept Rafiki, cause he was cool! 'It means your a baboon... and I'm not!' lol!)

In my mind's eye I can see her. One would think she would be naked to me, or at least in an appealing position, but she isn't. A light blush touches her cheeks, her hair in a small disarray. I long to reach out and stroke it back, feeling it's silkiness on my calloused fingers. Sometimes I do reach out...

... Only to find myself grasping empty air as I open my eyes.

I shift my weight to find a more comfortable position against the tree I sit in. You can see the ocean from here. Blue, flowing depths call to me. Before I would've obeyed, traveling where ever I pleased. Or where ever there were beautiful women.

But now I find myself rooted in a sense, and unable to look at another female without comparing them to her. And they will always lose, for she is the most beautiful woman on earth. In the history of everything, even!

Well, to me, anyways.

It's not just because her face is lovely and expressionate. Nor that she has quite the figure... No, love does not come by physical longing. I find myself drawn to her of forces unknown, coupled with a longing the likes of which never took hold of me before.

Back then, as a rogue without much decent purpose, I wanted only for the comfort of flesh against mine. Now, I see, love is something different.

A temperature drop signals the cool breeze sweeping through. I can feel it lightly through my robes, gliding over my skin. A shiver runs through me as I close my eyes, once again surrendering to the world of dream. There, I do not have this curse. And there, Sango loves me as I love her.

Such is not the case within the cruel reality I am always pulled back to.

I suppose I could have a chance. Maybe, if I were to stop taking advantage of her womanly anatomy. But otherwise, with that chance, she could die.

I would give anything to have her family avenged, to have her happy. But since I can't give her that, I might as well save her from myself.

My stupid, damned, leching self!

I absentmindedly finger the azure beads of the rosary sealing the kazaana, damning Naraku with every curse I know. Gods know we need the luck. With our recent battle... I was lucky to escape unscathed. The others are a different matter.

Inuyasha is bleeding still, and Sango suffered a bad leg wound. Kagome-sama went home to her era to get more medical supplies. Shippou and Kirara are watching over them now. At least Sango woke this morning, so we know she will live.

I was so frightened that she would become lost to me...

Yet how I can I lose something I never really had?

A bird chirps in the branches above me, a mear silhouette through bright green leaves. The sun peaks through at me, as if to play a game. I am in no mood for such things.

I've been waiting here for quite some time. Morning has turned to afternoon, which is dimming into evening. My stomach hungers not, so I have no reason to come down. I can't play my usual facade around Sango now, it'd only make things worse. In my current state, things wouldn't imporve either, so I told Shippou to get me if anything went wrong.

But if anything went wrong, I would know. I would feel my heart pulsing through with her pain. As stupid as it sounds, Sango's become a part of me. Just a part I am unable to bring into this reality.

I could stay here forever. Just me and my feeble wishes, fading over the hazy alzamarine in the distance. It's been such a long time since I'd been to the ocean. Perhaps I could persuade the others! I'm sure Kagome-sama would take my side. Sango, though...

It would cheer her up, something she direly needs. Yes, my mind is set on it. As soon as we're in good enough condition to walk, we're going.

Or at least Sango and I are.

"Houshi-sama!"

My eyes blink open as I look down, unto the displeased figure below me. Her mouth is set in a firm line, fists clenched by her sides. Only adorned by a soft white robe, she looks like one of Kagome-sama's 'angels'. Ah, but she is far too wonderful to be an angel.

"What're you doing up there?" she shouts as I acknowledge her with a weak smile, a feeble, desperate attmept. "You haven't come down all day!"

I shrug, bending to see her better through the foliage.

"The least you could've done," she presses, "Is come to see if I was okay."

By trying not to harm her, I've only done worse. Good job, Miroku!

"You shouldn't be out of bed." I call to her, but she shakes her head.

"I'm fine. Now come down and eat!" she demands.

"I'm not hungry," I insist, too far away from myself to play the perv.

"You have to eat or you'll get sick!" she yells, one fist rising to shoulder level, "Please!"

There are almost tears in her eyes now. Baka... she is in pain.

I refuse to respond, only making her more determined. Before I can say anything, she's nearly below me, the basket of food hanging in the crook of her elbow.

"Stop now! You're still injured!"

"I told you, I'm fine!" she insists, reaching up to an unsturdy branch. A fatal mistake.

The sound that meets my ears is that of cracking wood, breaking away from the trunk. Wide eyes and limbs flailing, she heads for the hard ground below.

Recklessly, I swing myself down, my muscles stiff from sitting. I don't know how, but I'm able to catch her hand, leaving her dangling a foot from the ground. Landing, though she could've done it, would've seriously damaged her leg. The damned girl is far too selfless.

"A-Arigatou gozaimasu," she pants, finding her balance on a thick limb. I put my other arm around her waist, pulling her up to me. She seems too shocked to do much else besides cling to me, pressing her temple against my chest for reasurrance.

Some of her hair has fallen over her shoulder and into her eyes. Gently as I can, I reach down to her and bring it behind her ear, brushing her neck as I do so. Maybe I've gone too far. But at least she's not here against her will. Still, she's so close... closer than I've ever dared to beforehand.

"Your heart..." she mumbles, her eyelids closing with exaughstion, "It's beating... so fast."

"I was afraid," I whisper, and she lifts her head, staring at me inquisitively. It's become hard to balance with her on me, but I'm able to rest my foot on another branch to suffice. Her eyebrows furrow in confusion, bangs swinging over warm chestnut eyes.

"Why?"

Why, my dear Sango? Do you even need to ask?

"Why not?" I counter, lacing my fingers gently through hers, "Sango, when someone you care about is in danger, you have to be afraid for them."

"Don't lie to me," she pleads, her voice trembling, "You would only be that afraid... for someone I obviously am not."

I can't contain the smile that grows further on my lips. My free hand traces a path up her neck slightly, to catch her chin between my thumb and forefinger. Slowly tilting her head towards me, I hear her take in a deep breath.

"Appearances can be decieving," I hear myself whisper. I don't really know where the words have come from, weaving themselves into the soft breeze that stirs between us.

For a moment her expression changes, and I find myself in awe of what this woman hides from us all. Then she is drawing away from me, and I release her without question. A few more inches away and she stops.

"Yes, Houshi-sama," she speaks slowly, carefully under her breath, "They can."

She climbs down slowly, leaving the basket in my hands. Landing like a cat, her hair tumbles down behind her in waves. Earthy debris remain tangled within it's inky shimmer.

"Eat something!" she calls up, "You'll get sick."

I don't say anything in return, but simply watch, as the most beautiful woman on earth walks away from me. Her shadows dance, wavering from the light of the steadily setting sun.

End

(baka - idiot, a-arigatou gozaimasu - th-thank you)

Note: The ending is not meant to be anti MS, becuase I'm a 100 supporter! It's just an attempt at something half-way there.

Comments? Questions? Have nothing better to do? Have tons of better things to do, but feel like doing something nice? Please review!! And if you so feel inclined, read my other fanfictions. Queen Ebony commands you! Bwahahaha!


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